BOSTON – Friday, March 7, 2014 – In a visit to the Callahan Tunnel today, MassDOT Secretary & CEO Richard A. Davey and Highway Administrator Frank DePaola announced the closure portion of the rehabilitation project is coming to an end, and barring any unforeseen delays, the Tunnel that carries traffic from Downtown to East Boston and Logan Airport will be back open to vehicles on Monday, March 10, 2014 by 5am.

“The Patrick Administration has made a commitment to invest in the infrastructure we have and to be innovative in how we deliver critical repairs to the roads, bridges and tunnels that support the regional economy,” said Secretary Davey. “To that end, MassDOT is pleased to share that this closure is trending to end several days ahead of schedule.”

“Along with receiving quality work to meet our specifications, reducing the impact this work had on the public has been our highest priority. There were doubts on how the region would respond to the detours and I am thankful to the public and our project team for showing us that the complete closure was the right choice,” said Administrator DePaola.

Work will continue 24/7 through the weekend as contractor McCourt paves the tunnel, installs lane marking and works in coordination with MassDOT to remove the barriers and detours that have been in place since the closure began on December 27.

The $19.3 million contract for McCourt Construction included additional incentive payments of $71,500 each day the tunnel opens prior to the advertised opening date of March 12; McCourt is on track to be eligible for an incentive payment with a Monday opening. The complete budget for the project, funded through toll revenues, is $25 million revised from the earlier $35 million project estimate.

Efforts to return traffic to pre-closure conditions will take place over the course of next week; these efforts that will be noticed by the public are detailed below. Most notably, the effort requires the closure of Exit 24/Gov’t Center on I-93 Southbound on Sunday night into Monday morning and the complete closure of I-93 Southbound through Boston overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.

On Sunday (3/9) night from 11pm until Monday morning (3/10) at 5am, Exit 24 off of I-93 Southbound, which carries traffic to Government Center, will be closed to allow crews to remove barriers, install lane markings and prepare to open the Callahan Tunnel

On Monday morning (3/10), digital message boards along the highway will display that the Callahan Tunnel is open

Large detour signage will be removed Sunday/Monday (3/10) and the remainder through 3/12

A complete closure of I-93 Southbound through Boston overnight Tuesday (3/11) at 11pminto Wednesday (3/12) at 5am will allow for the removal of overhead detour signage

Police detail posts supporting the detour routes will end by Wednesday (3/12)

On Wednesday morning (3/12), the Commercial Vehicle Only restrictions and the HOV lane 2+ restrictions and will once again take effect on the South Boston Bypass Haul Road and the HOV Express Lanes to the Airport

The I-93 Southeast Expressway HOV Zipper Lane’s early 2pm Southbound opening will continue through Friday (3/14), but return to a 3pm opening on Monday, 3/17

The traffic cameras that helped officials monitor detour route conditions and messages boards will be removed

The rehabilitation project allows for single-lane restrictions and complete overnight closures in the months ahead. The detour during those overnight closures will be posted as needed and direct motorists along surface streets and into the Ted Williams Tunnel.

In 2009, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) was created to unify the state’s various transportation agencies. MassDOT now includes the Highway Division, the MBTA and Rail Transit Division, the Aeronautics Division, and the Registry of Motor Vehicles. MassDOT is committed to providing a safe and reliable transportation system to all those who travel in the Commonwealth and works to deliver excellent customer service. MassDOT has been nationally recognized for its innovative approach to transportation, including the Accelerated Bridge Program, the “Where’s My Bus and Train?” apps and “Fast 14” work. For more information, visit MassDOT at our website: www.mass.gov/massdot blog: http://blog.mass.gov/transportation/, or follow MassDOT on twitter at https://twitter.com/MassDOT and Facebook at www.facebook.com/massdotinfo.